Tag

Browser Extensions

All articles tagged with #browser extensions

technology24 days ago•5 min saved

Chrome’s MV3 Switch Slams the Door on Traditional Ad Blockers

Google is switching Chrome from MV2 to Manifest V3, which will end official support for MV2 extensions and effectively disable popular ad blockers such as uBlock Origin; MV3 caps filtering and removes dynamic blocking, limiting ad-blocking effectiveness, though it doesn’t ban blockers outright. A Lite version of uBlock Origin exists with reduced functionality. Other browsers may continue MV2, but Chrome’s transition is slated to roll out with Chrome versions 150–151 this summer.

via PCMag|

#ad-blocking #browser-extensions #chrome

technology1 month ago•7 min saved

Chrome Extensions to Elevate Your YouTube Experience

WIRED highlights five Chromium-based extensions—Improve YouTube, Enhancer for YouTube, PocketTube, Turn Off the Lights, and DeArrow—that enhance YouTube with UI tweaks, playback controls, subscription organization, screen dimming to reduce distractions, and crowdsourced improvements to video titles and thumbnails, all without focusing on ad blockers.

via WIRED|

#browser-extensions #chrome #customization

technology3 months ago•8 min saved

LinkedIn hit with two lawsuits over alleged covert browser-extension scans

Two California-backed class-action lawsuits in the Northern District of California allege LinkedIn secretly scans users’ browsers to detect installed extensions and shares related data with third parties; LinkedIn says it discloses such extension scanning in its Privacy Policy to detect abuse and protect site stability, while the suits draw on the BrowserGate report and involve Teamfluence, seeking damages and an injunction.

via arstechnica.com|

#browser-extensions #data-collection #lawsuits

security5 months ago•3 min saved

17 Malicious Browser Extensions Spanning Firefox, Chrome, Edge Exposed

Security researchers at LayerX disclosed 17 malicious browser extensions across Firefox, Chrome and Edge that were downloaded more than 840,000 times and could stay active for years. Mozilla and Microsoft have removed them from official stores; users who installed any should uninstall immediately. The GhostPoster campaign used steganography to hide code and delayed execution to cloak malicious actions, including rewriting HTTP headers, hijacking affiliate traffic, injecting scripts for click fraud and user tracking, auto-solving CAPTCHAs, and granting attackers extended control. Notable extensions included Google Translate in Right Click and Translate Selected Text with Google, with Urban VPN Proxy cited as another high-risk example.

via PCMag|

#browser-extensions #malware #privacy

technology5 months ago•2 min saved

GhostPoster exposed: 17 malicious browser extensions you must delete now

Researchers identified 17 Chrome, Firefox, and Edge extensions linked to the GhostPoster campaign. The malware-monitored extensions hide a multi-stage payload that weakens browser protections, opens a backdoor for remote code execution, can hijack traffic and inject tracking scripts, and has reportedly remained active for years before being removed. If you already downloaded any of these extensions, delete them immediately.

via Mashable|

#browser-extensions #cybersecurity #ghostposter

technology5 months ago•6 min saved

GhostPoster Malware Hits 17 Browser Extensions Across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge

Researchers warn of the GhostPoster campaign, which distributed 17 malicious browser extensions across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge to monitor activity and hijack affiliate traffic. The extensions load a remote payload via a logo-based loader, and together they have thousands to hundreds of thousands of installs (over 840k in total). Although these extensions can no longer be installed in major browsers, anyone who still has them should delete them immediately, as they can inject scripts, strip HTTP headers, bypass CAPTCHA, and enable click fraud; the campaign appears to have started as early as 2020.

via Lifehacker|

#browser-extensions #ghostposter #malware

technology5 months ago•2 min saved

GhostPoster malware infiltrates 840,000 users via trusted-looking extensions

Security researchers warn that 22 malicious browser extensions, hiding GhostPoster malware in their logos, have infected over 840,000 users across Chrome, Firefox and Edge since 2020. The extensions spy on activity, inject backdoor scripts, and redirect to fraudulent sites, with potential to install more malware. Mozilla and Microsoft removed the extensions, but affected users must uninstall them manually to stop further damage.

via PCWorld|

#browser-extensions #chrome #firefox

technology5 months ago•4 min saved

GhostPoster malware resurges via popular browser extensions with 840k installs

Researchers found 17 GhostPoster-linked extensions in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge totaling about 840,000 installs. The extensions hide malicious JavaScript in their logos to monitor browser activity, hijack affiliate links, and inject invisible iframes for ad and click fraud, pulling a heavily obfuscated payload from an external resource. LayerX reports a more advanced variant that moves the payload into the extension’s background script and stores it inside a bundled image, improving dormancy and evasion. Some extensions have been removed from Mozilla and Microsoft stores; Google has removed them from Chrome Web Store, but users who installed them may still be at risk. The campaign originated on Edge and later spread to other browsers, and the researchers say it remains active.

via BleepingComputer|

#ad-fraud #browser-extensions #malware

cybersecurity6 months ago•3 min saved

Massive Browser Extension Malware Campaigns Expose Global Cybersecurity Threats

The DarkSpectre threat actor, linked to China, has exposed a series of malicious browser extensions across Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, affecting over 8.8 million users worldwide. These extensions, including ShadyPanda, GhostPoster, and The Zoom Stealer, are designed for data theft, corporate espionage, and meeting information harvesting, often masquerading as legitimate tools for video conferencing and utilities. The campaigns have been active for over seven years, with some extensions still in the trust-building phase, posing significant risks to user privacy and corporate security.

via The Hacker News|

#browser-extensions #cyber-espionage #cybersecurity

technology6 months ago•4 min saved

Popular Browser Extensions Harvest and Sell AI Chat Data

Research reveals that four popular browser extensions, including Urban VPN Proxy, have been secretly harvesting and transmitting users' AI chat conversations to third parties, despite privacy claims. These extensions inject scripts into AI platforms like ChatGPT and Meta AI, capturing and sending chat data without user consent, raising significant privacy concerns. Users are advised to uninstall these extensions immediately to protect their data.

via theregister.com|

#ai-chat-data #browser-extensions #data-harvesting

technology1 year ago•1 min saved

Browser extensions transform nearly 1 million browsers into website-scraping bots

Nearly 1 million browser extensions across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge have been exploited to covertly turn browsers into web scraping bots for a paid service, leveraging a JavaScript library called MellowTel-js. These extensions, used for various benign purposes, are being used to bypass security protections and scrape websites on behalf of paying clients, including advertisers, raising significant security concerns.

via Ars Technica|

#browser-extensions #mellowtel-js #monetization

privacy1 year ago•5 min saved

Shield Yourself from Meta's New Privacy Threat

Researchers uncovered Meta's new tracking technique exploiting a loophole to spy on users' web browsing, bypassing security protections on Android devices. This highlights the ongoing privacy risks posed by Meta's surveillance practices. To protect yourself, use privacy-focused browsers like Brave or DuckDuckGo, delete untrusted apps, install privacy extensions like Privacy Badger, and limit Meta's data use. The incident underscores the need for stronger privacy laws and better browser protections, especially in Chrome, which currently lacks robust tracker blocking.

via Electronic Frontier Foundation|

#android #browser-extensions #meta

technology2 years ago•2 min saved

Google Chrome to Limit Ad Blockers Starting June 3rd

Google will begin phasing out Manifest V2 extensions in Chrome starting June 3, 2024, weakening ad blockers and other extensions. Manifest V3 aims to improve security, privacy, and performance but poses challenges for developers. Enterprises have until June 2025 to transition. Popular ad blockers like uBlock Origin are adapting, but users may face limitations. Google claims 85% of actively maintained extensions have migrated to Manifest V3.

via BleepingComputer|

#ad-blockers #browser-extensions #google-chrome

technology2 years ago•4 min saved

Google Chrome to Start Limiting Ad Blockers Next Week

Google Chrome is transitioning from its older Manifest V2 extension system to the more limited Manifest V3 starting next week, despite controversy and criticism from groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Manifest V3 aims to improve security and privacy but restricts capabilities of extensions, particularly ad blockers. Firefox will support Manifest V3 for compatibility but will continue to support V2. Users may need to find alternatives or switch to Firefox as V2 extensions are phased out.

via Ars Technica|

#ad-blockers #browser-extensions #google-chrome

technology2 years ago•3 min saved

Google Chrome to Enforce New Ad-Blocker Rules Next Week

Google is moving forward with its plan to phase out Manifest V2 browser extensions, including ad-blockers, in favor of the newer Manifest V3. Starting Monday, users of Chrome's Beta, Dev, and Canary builds will see warnings about the impending deactivation of V2 extensions. While Manifest V3 aims to improve performance, privacy, and security, it has faced criticism for potentially reducing the effectiveness of content-blocking extensions. Google has made some concessions to developers, but the transition will be fully enforced by early 2025, with enterprises given until June 2025.

via The Register|

#ad-blockers #browser-extensions #chrome